A park ranger at a Bay Area park intervened when she saw a woman hit a man and throw her coffee at a group of Muslim men praying in the park after a conversation about religion, park officials said Wednesday.

The woman, identified as Denise Slader, began talking to the men about 3 p.m. Sunday at the volleyball courts near the entrance to Lake Chabot Regional Park, according to East Bay Regional Park District spokesperson Carolyn Jones.

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The men were praying when Slader got into a conversation about religion that escalated into an argument. Jones said the victims described Slader saying things like "Your God is Satan" and "The Koran is evil."

The men began recording the incident. The video, posted on Rasheed Albeshari's Facebook page, has since gone viral.

Slader can be seen on the video saying, "The people you torture are going to be in heaven. You are very deceived by Satan. Your mind has been taken over, brainwashed, and you've got nothing but hate."

A park ranger can be seen in the video trying to intervene, but the woman responds angrily, saying it is inappropriate for Albeshari to tape her.

Albeshari, who was not seen on camera, can be heard saying, "This lady was talking about my God."

Slader then struck Albeshari with an umbrella and threw her coffee on him, Jones said.

Park district police responded, and an officer took statements and wrote a report, recommending a charge of misdemeanor battery, Jones said.

The report is expected to be forwarded to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office and the decision on whether to pursue a hate crime charge will be left up to prosecutors, Jones said.

Prayer in the park is legal, as is stating your views, as long as you don't disturb the peace, according to Jones.

"Lake Chabot is a very popular park and a very diverse area," Jones said. "Ninety-nine times out of 100, people are very tolerant and accepting of each other."

Jones said Slader is an employee of the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. That department was not immediately available to confirm her employment there.